New shocking figures about women who died within a year of pregnancy

Cathy Ashley, Chief Executive of Family Rights Group, said:

“These shocking new research findings from the MBBRACE-UK study, should ring alarm bells in Government and across public services.

“This first study of its kind details the situation of 1695 women who died within a year of pregnancy; of whom 420 were in contact with children’s social care. It exposes significant failures in how services and agencies which should be prioritising care, too often compound the pressures that expectant and new mothers are facing.

“Mothers who have experienced domestic abuse and who have contacted Family Rights Group’s national advice line often describe feeling punished by a child welfare system that blames them for failing to protect their child but fails to hold the perpetrator to account. Increasing numbers of new mothers are hauled into care proceedings sometimes within hours of giving birth, when support during the pregnancy could have averted such a draconian intervention. Many of the women are very young themselves, and there are significant regional variations in how parents are treated.

“These alarming numbers reinforce the urgent need to transform maternal care, and how children’s services work with expectant and new mothers to ensure they have the support they need. Family Rights Group is clear of the importance of the children’s services following the Born into Care Best Practice Guidelines, including offering expectant mothers and fathers a family group conference early into the pregnancy, so they can bring together the support network they may need to keep their child and themselves safe.”